The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-15
THE "GRAEO OLD MAN"
G:aGstoue's Home Life at Uawarden
Castle. Some Facts About this
Man OF Books, of Politics
and Cratory.

HaWalueu caStle \'IoHouhSeNt A1d
dem is just visible as You pass from
rare OLD Chester to North Wales
alongside the sands O Dee" It is
Of very moderate size,~nany coun-
try house is twice as imposing, and
it is mainly modern. The old castle
saw any amount of savage fighting
between the English and the warlike
! Welshmen. The property used to
belong to the tory Stanleys, the earl
of Derby, but on the seventh earl be-
ing beheaded for treason, Hawarden
was d!smantled and the estate was
bought by Sergeant Glyn, or Glynne,
Cromweli's lord chief justice. 1t
came into it's present ownership
through Mrs. Gladstone, who is
Glynne. It is not generally known
that Mr.. Gladstone is not the owner
Of Hawarden. Tie property belongs
to his eldest son, William Henry,
who is lord Of the manor, i. e. land
lord. Strictly speaking the EXPIRE.
mier is only 9 guest on sufferance.
Inside the castle there is much
that proclaiins the manner Of man
whose home it is. The walls every.
where may be said to be papered with
books. Even some Of the lobbys
stream.with literature. And litera-
ture Of every sort under the sun, from
sacred scriptures, ancient parch-
ments, Homers and Eirgils to pom
derous parliamentary reports, the
latest books of science, art, poetry,
fiction and ephemeral publications.
Though he sold the bulk of his unique
collection Of china a few years ago,
Mr.. Gladstone still possesses good
~ share of his pet porcelains and
many valuable pieces come to him
as gifts. His own room is chaos,
with something Of an artistic purpose
running through the disorder. Every
table, chair, lounge. shelf and bracket
bears some work of art, either a por-
trait. bust, medallion or carving, or
curio Of antique or modern make.
When he comes home for his holi-
days this wonderful Briton simply
substitutes hard days work for
hard nights work Of the parliament
tary season. BE dresses himself in
light tweed suit, puts on slouch
hat, ties a free-and.easy bandsnna
round his still freer and easy collar,
and away he strides through the gar
den to early morning service in the
village church. Though it is only a
village church there is a parish to
work, and we'll is it served by his
younger son, Stephen, whom he ap
| pointed about IS years ago. 1t is
about the richest private living in
En- gland, producing some $4,000 a
year.
To see Mr.. Gladstone walk mile
on the turf is a rich treat. Even on
the streets Of London he is about the
most graceful and nimble pedestrian
you will meet in day. He strides
with the springy freedom Of an ath.
lete and has all the elegant grace Of
dancing master without trace of
the dandyism. More likely than not
you will see him swinging his old hat
in one hand while widening his COL
lar with the other. Then in 70 break
fast, wholesome, simple English
breakfast, which he eats with hearty
relish that is the envy of most of his
juniors. Then until lunch at 2,
comes work indoors, letters, Homer
Che is always pegging away at his
Homer, the writing Of magazine ar
ticles on theology, Greek and Latin
poetry, how to make jam, the Bulge
rian question, practical forestry. old
China, ancient Troy. Goodness
knows what Gladstone has not writ
ten, is writing, or will not write about,
and always as an authority, too.
He is q most moderete eater, and
a careful ore at that. 1t was about
q year ago that he published the re-
suit Of prolonged scientific investi-
CATION he had long been engaged in,
the result being that he pronounces
it essential to good digestion to take
two and-thirty distinct bites with
each mouthful of food (that is just
one bite to each tooth, if you are
lucky enough to possess a full set),
and he religiously does what he bids
Us to do. Yet he chats away the
meal times with all the easy Solubil-
ity Of five-year.old spoon-feeder.
Though temperate, Mr.. Gladstone is
not teetotal. He has too much CON-
mon sense and self.control. A glass
of good ale at lanch, and couple of
glasses of some old port at dinner
are his drinking vices, and long may